Railway-switch



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC ARTHUR OHARA, OF HAWLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,803, dated October20, 1885,

Application filed February 3. 1885. Serial No. 154,832. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR OHARA, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hawley, in the county of \Vayne and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Switches,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in railway-switches.

The object of the invention is to provide a safety-switch which, whileit may be operated in the ordinary way by means of a switch stand andlever, can also be controlled by the engineer of an approaching train,if for any cause the switchman has neglected to close the switch, so asto permit the train to pass on the main line.

The invention consists in combining with the movable switch-rails aconnected mechanism operated by a train, which throws the switch for themain line, so that the train can pass.

It further consists in the peculiar construction of the mechanismemployed to accomplish the above named results, and, finally, in variousdetails, all fully hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of switch thrownfor siding. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line 00 y of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 2 z of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is plan ofswitch thrown for main track.

The main -track rails are represented by the letter i, and theswitch-rails by la. The switch may be of the ordinary or of anyconvenient construction, and is commonly operated by the switch-lever b,connected to a switch-stand mounted on the extended ties a a. To thisextent the switch and its operative mechanism need not differ from thosenow used. In the center of the track, and

extending longitudinally a sufficient distance, as shown, is fadouble-inclined way or track, 01, composed of two rails pivoted togetherat their meeting ends, and loosely secured to flanged plates bolted tothe ties, so that they may slide longitudinally a short distance.

At the point where these rails are pivoted they bear on a pair oftransverse levers, e e, which work upon fulcrums g g, and are connectedat their outer ends to cranks ff, which are formed on longitudinal rods0 c. The rods 0 c are journaled in bearings bolted to the ties, asshown, and extend parallel to the rails to the point where theswitch-rod is connected. Cranks h h are formed on the ends of rods 0 c,which are connected to the switchrod 1).

In Figs. 2 and 3 are shown, respectively, a side view and a section of adisk or pulley, r, secured to the axle of the locomotive by means of aspline or key, 8. A grooved flange on the side of this disk is embracedby a band, which, by means of a lever, u, and suitable connections, isoperated from the cab of the engine.

Should it happen that previous to the passage of a train the switch hasbeen accidentally left in position for the siding, as in Fig. 1, theengineer, by moving the lever to, can bring the disk r into the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The passage of the disk over theinclined ways, and the consequent depression of the pivoted rails, alsodepresses the levers e e. The cranks f are thereby raised, causing therods 0 c to turn. The cranks h are therefore thrown into the positionshown in Fig. 4, moving the switchrod b, and throwing the switch for themain line, as shown in the figure last named.

The advantages of the device will be apparent at once, and, it isbelieved, need not be specifically enumerated. It may be stated,however, that it will be found advantageous to carry the disk or pulleywhich depresses the inclines on the caboose of a freight-train, so thatsuch train moving to or from the switch may set the track for the mainline.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a railway-switch, thecombination, with the main and switch rails, of a doubleinclined wayplaced between the rails, pivoted levers e 6 having their free endsdirectly below such incline and connected to longitudinal rods 0, whichare in turn connected to the switch-bar.

2. The combination of the rails i k, the in- In testimony whereof I haveaffixed my sigclines d d between the rails i, the pivoted lenature inpresence of two witnesses. vers e, having their free ends below theinclines, and bearing on fulcrum-pins g,and cranked ARTHUR OHARA. rods0, connected to such levers and to the switch-rod,the whole mechanismbeing placed between the rails and above the surface of the road-bed,substantially as described.

Witnesses:

T. J. FINNEN, Moms 0. WESTBROOK.

